Pumping system



March 2, 1954 E. J. GRACEQJR 7 2,670,692

PUMPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 20, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

EDWARD J. GRACE JR. BY

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1954 ant molteIPaa a sign Li -Sun tail-d mainfil iihiai a,i lc

porationpfiNewJersey smiiicajacii neeeifiber 20, 1949, Serial No.133,984 a eiaims. (01.- 103- 228) The inveiition rlat'esto bumping teinsand "particularly to" theccmciiiaticn and r ran'gement of parts' forliftingor transferring liquid cdr itaining solig particles 1 Efrem asump or-vessel to a pressured line or vessel.

The objectof this invention is to provide means for' piiinpin'g liquidscontaining debris from e01- lecting areas which are'coiiimfiniiianufacturlng installations such as refineries and chemicalplants where constructionand' alterations as l'd' ll ssessing operationsare constantly inip Jess. "Manufacturingaccesses invvhich a slumscontaining lumpy material is used will find the disclosed device anexcellent means for transferring this slurry to pressure vessels as astep in the process. The usual suction line operated by a piston typepump and including check valves is objectionable as it clogs with piecesof weed, cinders, stones and miscellaneous solid materials present undersuch conditions. These objects in the liquid pumped through the systemprevent the check valves from operating and cause rapid wear andconstant replacement of bearings and shafts.

A transfer problem of this nature requires that the collecting pool,sump or other vessel be emptied by lifting the liquid to a pressure lineor vessel. The pumping system of this invention includes the means forpassing the contents of the collecting areas to such a pressure disposalpipe or vessel and includes a reciprocating piston or diaphragm pumpingmeans for lifting the liquid and non-clogging check valves to keep theliquid moving against the pressure of the disposal locus. In thedrawing, a schematic arrangement of the elements of the system is shownin elevation.

The numeral I indicates a collecting pool which contains liquid II andpieces of wood, stones and other debris, generally indicated at I2, as atypical example. A conduit I3 connects the pumping system with theliquid II and through the elements of the system to a pressure disposalline I4. A diaphragm or reciprocating piston pumping means I5 ofcommercial type is coupled to the conduit I3 at point I6 and furnishesthe suction by which liquid II is lifted.

Between the pumping means I5 and the liquid source I I, a sealed chamberI1 containing a quantity of mercury I8, thereby forming a mercury checkvalve, is mounted. Considering the sections of the conduit I3 whichconnect the mercury check valve IT as the induction section I3a and theeduction section I3b, it will be noted that the section I3a rises abovethe chamber I1 and enters it to sufiicient depth to penetrate the mer- 49 which is similar an ccnstiuctiem valve l 1.

2 cu'r-y 'body' l 8. 'The-sheight-ito' which ith'e rindu'ction secti'o'n13a rises above the ichamberdependsfupbn the force whih the pumping'm'eans eiierts ai'id rmu'st abeisuificient tolretain "the mercury I8inthe chamber 121. "Thefeduction section I flb icoiin'e'cts the mercuryelieck valvgfto thefpunip lswl'eading -'d'i're'ct1y from :the top of'the seaied chamber cf t he waive tT withcutipenetrating the mercconduit. heri eirtended to amer Considering the mercury check valve I9which, like the valve I1, is a sealed chamber with a quantity of mercury28] therein, an induction section I30 of the conduit line I3 enters thetop of the chamber and penetrates the mercury surface, as explainedabove, for valve Il'. As this valve is placed to protect the pumpingsystem from the back pressure of the disposal line I l, the length ofthe vertical leg I30 must be of sufficient height to prevent the mercury28 from :being forced out of the chamber I9 and up into the systemagainst the flow of liquid and in response to the reciprocating suctionaction of the pump I5. An eduction section I3d connects the valve I9 tothe line I4, as shown, and carries the efiiuent into that line fordisposal.

An example of the operation of this system is given to clarify theapplication of the device in a particular problem and indicate themethod for determining the dimensions of the induction sections I3a andI30 under actual conditions. Referring to the drawing, numeral 2Irepresents a platform or elevated surface, in general, above a liquidbody carrying silt, sand, pieces of mud, etc., as indicated at Ill. Thepump unit I5 is placed on the platform approximately twenty feet abovethe liquid to be lifted. It is required that the delivery be one gallonper minute at a discharge pressure of 45 pounds absolute pressure with aspeed of 30 strokes per minute. the conduit I30 delivering to thedischarge line I I, is taken as .6 inch. The height of the seal legsI31: and I30 are dictated by the absolute discharge pressure. Thedisplacement of the pumping chamber in pump I5 must be greater than thevolume required for the suction and discharge seals by a volume equal tothe required pumping rate per stroke. As 2 inches of mercury equals onepound pressure with an absolute pressure of 45 lbs. assumed, the seallegs I3a and I30 must be inches in height. From this dimension themercury seal valves in which a two inch displacement of mercury isallowed, can readily be determined as 4 inches in diameter with a volumeof The diameter of mercury approximately 50 cubic inches. The final stepof determining the pump stroke displacement to properly operate thisvolume of mercury and cause the necessary lift and operation of thedevice gives a stroke volume of approximately 61 cubic inches.

The abov example includes the complete analysis of the problem fordetermining the apparatus for the disclosed pumping system. This hasbeen included in order to clearly describe the design of the inductionand eduction conduits of the mercury check valves. It will be apparentto those versed in the art that the invention is applicable to anyproblem of pumping, in general, and may include gaseous as well asliquid fluids containing foreign and bulky material.

I claim:

1. In a pumping system the combination comprising a pump; a flow linecooperating with said pump; a flow check means upstream and above saidpump in elevation consisting of a seaied chamber, a quantity of mercurytherein, induction and eduction sections of said flow line con- .nectedto said chamber, the induction section vertically arranged to enter themercury in said chamber and extending upwardly therefrom a distancesufficient to restrain the mercury to the .-locus of the sealed chamber;similar flow check means including a second sealed mercury-containingchamber downstream of said pump placed below the level of the pump adistance sumcient to prevent the withdrawal of the mercury from saidsecond chamber by the pumping action, the induction section of thesecond flow means arranged to enter the mercury in. said second chamberand the eduction section thereof connected to said second chamber toconduct the efi'iuent therefrom.

2. A system for lifting fluid from a source to a disposal pointcomprising a conduit having one end in communication with said sourceand the other end emptying into a disposal point above the level of thesource, reciprocating pumping means positioned to operably engage saidconduit between the source and the disposal point dividing it into aninlet and outlet section respectively, a mercury seal in the inletsection above the pumping means in elevation, a like seal in the outletsection below said pumping means in elevation, the conduit deliveringthe source material to the mercury seals having the end thereof immersedin the mercury and being vertically extended above said seals asufficient distance to restrain the mercury to the seals during thepumping operation.

EDWARD J. GRACE, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,107,887 Bowser Aug. 18, 1914 1,630,943 Hutton May 31, 1921

